Considering Spirited Gesture had won at Newmarket on her previous starts, it looked like she detested the track today.
She looked all over the place when entering the dip, and I'd be surprised if we saw her running at the track for a long time. Maybe she didn't like quickening from off the pace and got her legs all muddled up, or maybe she's not built to run with undulations like that. Either way, it was an underwhelming performance.
Talking of underwhelming, Prizeland fits that bill. Oisin never gave the horse a chance, and since we know she can stay further than yesterday's trip, it seemed a strange decision to anchor her in last place, which needed her to quicken. Also, I've mentioned it before, but he looks so weak in the saddle these days, and I'm going to try my best to avoid his rides in the future. He's massively overrated, and if that's one of the best jockeys in the country, we're in trouble.
Sun Goddess 6/4 – Newmarket 2.27
I am a big fan of Sun Goddess, and I think she is the best six-furlong filly over this juvenile bunch. She has won two Group 1s and won both of them in easy style.
She is a backable price because Senorita Bonita is deemed a solid alternative, and on face value of winning a Group 1 by over four lengths, you can't deny her. However, I tipped up Orthodox in that Group 1 race, and even though she was impressive, hindsight now tells us that was a woeful race. She could be a superstar, and the visuals from that win suggest she is a proper Group 1 horse, but she beat the runner-up, who has since massively flopped.
Sun Goddess hails from the biggest operation, and she is getting better with every start. The only real blemish on the record is the defeat at Royal Ascot to Libertango, who races in this, but maybe Ascot just isn't her track, or she has improved a stone since then. I think the latter makes the most sense, as she has surpassed Libertango in achievements and RPRs since then.
Desperate Dan 16/1 (EW, 3pl) – Haydock 1.35
With Haydock having Heavy ground, soft in places, I think you can find value with horses who relish the conditions.
Desperate Dan does his best work on ground like this, but he is being massively overlooked in the market at odds of 16/1. He hasn't won a race of this quality, so that's probably the main reason he is the price he is, but with the majority of the horses in the race untested on ground like this, he is surely worth a punt as an each-way bet.
He hasn't run much this year, and when he has, he hasn't run great. However, if you focus on when he has had his ground, he has shown he is dangerous to ignore. He won a Class 3 on heavy ground last October, and had won and lost by a nose on his other attempts on heavy ground. He did run at Goodwood in June on soft, but it was on the back of a small absence, and it was an amateur race, so you can make your own judgement on that form.
The most interesting runner is the favourite, as he put in a great display on his only run on heavy ground, and that form means he deserves to be the favourite.
Rousing Encore 13/2 (EW, 4pl) – Haydock 3.15
It might be too soon for Rousin Encore to show his true talents, but if he is fit and ready to go, I think he holds a massive chance.
The fact that he got as close as he did in the Bronze Cup at Ayr last weekend showed what type of form he is in when getting a slow surface. He had no right to get as close as he did; he was on his own for a long way in the near side group, and had nothing to follow for pace, yet he went down fighting and lost by small margins.
If he was drawn on the far side, he would have walked the race last week, and I have no doubt in my mind. He has gone up 3lbs for that performance, which is still on the low side, and I think he is well handicapped on this type of surface.
GambleAware